Counting on People to Drive Waste Solutions

Credit: Nipe Fagio

A growing body of scientific evidence is drawing renewed attention to the environmental dangers posed by landfills, as experts warn that methane emissions from waste disposal sites are accelerating the global climate crisis.

A recent study conducted by the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), identified the world’s top 25 waste disposal facilities with the highest methane emissions using satellite monitoring technology developed by Carbon Mapper. According to the findings, the facilities emit between 3.6 and 7.5 tons of methane every hour. Researchers explained that a single landfill releasing five tons of methane per hour could generate the same level of global warming impact as one million Sports Utility Vehicles (SUVs) operating for an entire year.

Scientists have long recognized methane as one of the most dangerous greenhouse gases because it traps more than 80 times as much heat as carbon dioxide over a short period. Environmental advocates say the latest data provides even stronger evidence that continued reliance on landfills is both environmentally destructive and increasingly unsustainable.

Beyond contributing to climate change, critics argue that waste disposal systems create a range of environmental, health, social, and political problems. Landfills and incinerators are often linked to air, water, and soil pollution, while communities chosen to host such facilities frequently face difficult questions about environmental justice and public participation. In many urban areas, authorities are also struggling to identify locations for new waste disposal facilities as populations continue to grow.

Experts are now urging governments to move away from technology-driven waste management solutions and instead focus on waste prevention, recycling, composting, and reuse systems that depend on public participation. They emphasize that waste is made up of different materials — including food scraps, paper, glass, furniture, and textiles — and therefore requires separation at source to ensure effective recovery and recycling.

In many developing countries, waste pickers have emerged as central figures in recycling systems. These informal workers recover recyclable materials and organic waste, helping to reduce landfill use, prevent methane emissions, and sustain local recycling industries while also supporting millions of low-income households.

A new publication titled Managing Organics with Waste Pickers: A Briefing for Policymakers, produced by the Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives (GAIA) and the International Alliance of Waste Pickers, highlights successful examples of waste-picker-led organic waste management programs around the world.

In Pune, India, the waste-picker cooperative SWaCH — operated largely by women — provides separate waste collection services to approximately 26,000 households, schools, and offices. The cooperative also manages composting and anaerobic digestion systems, a service it has sustained for more than a decade. Organizers attribute much of the initiative’s success to the strong relationships waste pickers have built with residents.

Similar progress is being recorded in Tanzania, where the organization Nipe Fagio and the Wakusanya Taka Bonyokwa Cooperative are leading waste separation and composting programs in Dar es Salaam. Officials report that the Bonyokwa ward has achieved a 95 percent source-separation compliance rate, one of the highest in the country. The initiative also includes composting facilities capable of processing organic waste from local produce markets.

Environmental advocates say these examples demonstrate that waste pickers are uniquely positioned to lead sustainable waste management efforts because of their experience in collection systems and community engagement. They argue that with proper recognition, fair contracts, and investments in infrastructure for separate waste streams, cities can significantly reduce landfill dependence and methane emissions.

The report calls on governments and policymakers to strengthen support for waste-picker-led initiatives by addressing barriers to implementation and expanding successful programs. Advocates maintain that empowering communities and improving waste separation systems could play a major role in reducing climate pollution while creating more sustainable and inclusive urban waste management systems.

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